Record tv ; PICK OF THE DAY
By Jane Simon; Brian McIver
NEW TRICKS BBC1, 9pm
IT’S debatable whether any of New tricks’ millions of fans tune in for the daft cases – the appeal lies in watching the grumpy old men and mother hen sandra having the time of their lives.
This week, they’re peering from the roof of a university building where, three years earlier, Professor Richard Symes fell to his death. Did he jump or was he pushed?
With little more than an old library ticket to go on, Brian leads the chase in an hour of murder mystery.
The episode opens with him being thrown out of one library for yelling at everyone to keep quiet. It’s not long before he gets himself into trouble in another.
While Sandra and Gerry track down the Prof’s youthful widow, Jack is so unimpressed by the students at the local uni, he starts to consider studying for a degree himself.
This is murder-lite with no gruesome shots of blood and guts. But the director could have spared us the sandwich-eating scene in the park.
For all their bleating about manners, and how nothing is as good as it was in their day, you’d have hoped the older generation would know better than to talk with their mouths full.
COME DINE WITH ME C4, 8pm
WHO would have thought watching four strangers serve dinner would turn into such a ratings success?
Come Dine With Me’s new prime-time slot on a Friday night will bolster Channel 4′s end of week line-up, which also tonight includes the return of Eight Out of Ten Cats and a terrestrial airing for The Inbetweeners.
First up in Southend, Essex, the insults flow like cheap wine as charity worker and professional chatterbox Louise opts for a musical- themed menu by naming all her dishes after famous show tunes.
As the week continues, retired banker Rob hopes his crabs will prove that men are superior to women, publicist Tracy makes a public relations boo-boo when her guests spot her collection of trinkets and Zac proves that if there’s one thing more irksomethan an estate agent, it’s a drunk estate agent.
As always, Dave Lamb, skewers the lot of them and dusts on a seasoned coating of comedy commentary.
THE ROB BRYDON SHOW BBC2, 10pm
IT’S not the first time Brydon has fronted his own chat show. Back in 2004, he hosted a spoof version under his alias of Keith Barret.
Now he’s playing it straight – so you can forgive his first guests for some confusion – especially after Brydon opens by treating his audience to his bizarre impression of Pingu.
“Is it meant to be a comedy show?” asks David Walliams as he considers the best way to reply to a question about his marriage.
Pre-recorded on a stage that’s been dressed to resemble a gentlemen’s club – the traditional kind with bookcases, not lapdancers, I hasten to add – this is a tame, low-wattage affair compared to the Paul O’Grady show over on ItV1.
But Brydon’s talent for impersonation also leads to an unusual duet with his other guest, his hero sir tom Jones.
A FESTIVAL OF FILM
35MM: EDINBURGH SPECIAL SKY MOVIES PREMIERE, 7.30PM
THE weekly sky show about the film world gets out of the London studios this week and makes a trip to Edinburgh for a look at the city’s rich film history.
Presenter Mark Dolan brings us the usual mix of movie news and previews, but also visits the owner of one of the city’s most unusual cinemas – the Dominion. He then treks to the top of Carlton Hill.
He discusses some of the best movies made in the city, and after staging a special preview screening of the new Zac Efron film Charlie st Cloud, he hears from local people about their memories of Edinburgh cinema.
ALL THE GOSS FROM YOUR SOAPS
EMMERDALE ITV1, 7pm
HOLLY doesn’t want to go home with her mum, but she might prefer that to where they eventually end up.
Until now, Moira’s played good cop to John’s bad cop – but after Holly burgled the family home, she opts for the tough love approach by dragging Holly to Hotten police station.
She hopes a talking-to from the boys in blue might frighten Holly back on to the straight and narrow – but she’s clutching at straws.
EASTENDERS BBC1, 8pm
NEW mothers will sympathise with the way Sam Mitchell’s head is all over the place at the moment.
One minute she wants to give her baby away to Jack, then she doesn’t, then she does, and then she’s kissing Minty…
We’d blame the late-night feeds and lack of sleep for her poor decision-making except that Sam doesn’t seem to be doing any of that. This is just her natural flakiness at work.
Anyway, there are more exciting things to think about tonight as a very familiar face is set to roar back into town.
CORONATION STREET ITV1, 7.30pm & 8.30pm
IT’S not like Becky to be taken for a mug, but after pounds 50 goes missing from the till in the Rovers she’s quick to leap to the defence of her sulky sister.
Not so Steve, especially when he catches Kylie dipping into Becky’s purse.
He’ll soon wish he hadn’t.
Steve McDonald is like cat-nip to troublesome women and Kylie’s about to tie the poor guy in knots.
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